i have everything from 700 to 2200.  the 1400 is generally considered the 'all around' router.

a clear decision point is 1/2-in shank bits...  if he wants/needs/should-use 1/2 bits for his projects, then the 1400.  this may come into play with the bookcase datos that you mention.  

hhh, made a great point about the disadvantage the OF 1010 has when it comes to not being compatible with 1/2" bits.  Additionally the overall fit and finish of the 1400 is a bit more top notch than the 1010.  It's a newer tool with better dust collection and a bit better ease of use and overall capabilities really make it worth the cash over the 1010.

I say it's worth the small "upcharge" now rather than the full, almost $500 price tag for the OF 1400 in addition to the 1010 down the road... no matter what projects and applications he's doing now.

Another option to consider is a 1010 and 2200 - this gives you all capabilities - small routing and large routing and all shank sizes.  I think that this is the perfect combination of routers.

Scot

Well, it was a job just getting him to look at the expense of the Festool, but when he saw the dust capability that seemed to be what moved him to looking at the green.  Sine he's a little old in the tooth like me, I would imagine that this may be hisone and only router purchase.

Suds, you did not mention your friend's experience level woodworking, especially with routers. This is a factor I discuss with everyone seeking my advice.

I bought my first electric router in 1946. At the time I bought my first Festools in 2006 I owned 8 routers of other brands, only one of which had a plunge base. As my first Festool router I selected the venerable OF1010, because I wanted that for drilling LR32 holes. Back then the OF1400 was not available and the OF2200 does not attach to the LR32 rail device.

Subsequently I have added many OF1010 to my tools, as well as 2 OF2200 and several MFK700. I only own one OF1400.

For me the OF1400 is Festools sincere effort to produce a very versatile router, which means there had to be design compromises. I am delighted to find that because the OF2200 is massive and runs so smoothly, for me it handles hand operated as easily as does an OF1010. For most of the tasks I perform using a hand-operated router the OF1010 has more than enough power.

Personally I make a whole lot of raised panel doors, for which I have been using router tables with conventional routers for decades. Consequently I own a comprehensive collection of 1/2" shank panel raising sets. Many of those go back to before the OF1400 was available in the USA. What I discovered after buying my OF1400 is that very few of my panel raising bits are small enough to fit on the OF1400. That router can be attached to the Festool LR32 "Holy Rail" device, but doing so is a PIA compared to using an OF1010.

Bottom line of my advice is to buy an OF1400 only if it will be your only router. I suggest the OF1010 as a first Festool router. BTW, my experience is that for most tasks the OF1010 collects dust and chips as well or better than does the OF1400. Perhaps this is because I have thousands of hours of experience with the OF1010 and probably less than 100 hours with the OF1400. Trust me, in the real world by following the advice contained in OF1010 supplemental manuals, you will be thrilled by the OF1010 dust collection. 

Suds, if there is any way that your buddy could use your OF1400 when that much power is needed, then I suggest he buy an OF1010 as his first router.

Inlay is not my personal bliss, but I have a lot of friends who really are into inlay. Some use other brands of light-weight standard routers, but more use the OF1010. Here in the USA there is a wide range of bit choices with 1/4" shanks. I do not remember ever seeing an inlay bit with a larger shank.

All the bits needed for rabbets and dadoes in plywood are available with 1/4" shanks and do not need more than 1000 watts of power.

Your friend should visit FOG and read the many posts about the two-pass approach to making dadoes which fit appropriately despite variations in plywood thickness. Trust me, att of that can be done very well with 1/4" shank bits and some practice.

Bottom line is that effectively, safely and efficiently using a router takes practice to gain confidence, and sharp bits!

I totally agree with Carroll

Also if he gets a 1010 you can play with it too 

Same with me, I agonized over this for a while but the 1010 came out on top. My first router in many years. If I need a 1/2 inch capacity with a lot of power occasionally, I will likely get something much cheaper than the 2200 since it will get very little use whereas the 1010 will get used a lot.

Sorry to say but I disagree. For inlay work visibility is paramount and the 700 is terrible for visibility. I use my 1400 for inlay work- I like the stability it gives me especially with the wide base. Others prefer the 1010 I don't think you can go wrong with either. I have a lot of 1/2" bits too so it's 1400 all the way for me.

I have bits that can easily be found with either a 1/4" or a 1/2" shank, and I generally lean toward the 1/2" shank when possible, because it is less likely to snap and fling the bit out of the tool while I am using it.  So for safety reasons, I typically prefer to use 1/2" shank bits in my handheld routers when reasonable.  No guard like the table has to keep the bit from flying out to who-knows-where.  I have had a bit (1/4" shank) snap on me once; thankfully, no harm done.

It wouldn't keep me from getting a 1010 (which is on my shopping list right now) and using 1/4" shank (or preferably 8mm when I can find them) bits, but if I had a 1400, I would definitely try to leverage that 1/2" collet.

How big a deal is the lack of the ratcheting bit install/removal?  I like it on mine but have no clue how big a deal it is on the 1010

One minor gripe I have with the 1010 is that I don't think the springs are strong enough.  I have to give it a little pull sometimes to get it to come back up.  It also isn't as smooth plunging as the 1400 I have used. 

I took it apart, cleaned the rods, added 3 in 1 oil and it is still pretty jerky... 

Ken,

Where does one send their router for a once-over?  I'm still under the 30 day, but the dealer is an hour away. 

I'm a little bummed because I wanted to use it specifically for an inlay this evening, but the plunge just isn't smooth enough for the precision I needed. 

==> So for safety reasons, I typically prefer to use 1/2" shank bits in my handheld routers when reasonable.  

Exactly!  I had a bit snap to me once with 1/4 and with a high-quality HSS spiral bit.  I've also had this happen with an 8mm solid carbide spiral bit. For those that have never had a bit snap, it's seriously scary.  I switched to 1/2 inch 15 years ago and never had a problem since.  the only time I use 8mm is when routing dovetails.  if you only work with 'softer' hard woods (janka about 1300 or less), then this may never be an issue.  but if you ever need to route ipe, bloodwood, etc then seriously consider 1/2.

@OP -- if your friend is really only going to do some edge finishing and some shallow dados, then the 1010 is a fine choice.  however, if he get's the 'bug' and moves from home improvement/DIY to furniture (how many of of us got started that way?), then the 1400 will grow with his needs.  the suggestion that you can just add a 2200 later needs to be considered against cost and experience -- the 2200 is my favorite router, but i would never recommend it for the inexperienced-- it's also seriously expensive when you add the accessory kit.

What about those of use who have had 1/2" bits snap? It's not like they're magically snap proof.

I'm just pointing out that your fear of 1/4" bits doesn't entirely make sense. I've snapped a 1/2" shank bit with it clipped a knot I wasn't aware of yet I've used way, way, way more 1/4" shank bits and never snapped one of them.

With any shank size, it's entirely possible to go your entire life without snapping one if you work safely and there are no severe surprises in the wood.

With any shank size, it's entirely possible to snap one the next time you pick up the router if you do something dumb or if there's a 30-06 slug in the wood.

I bought the OF1400 based on the versatility of the tool with support for 1/2" shank & more power just to find that not a single hardware store near me stocks anything else but 8mm shank bits 

I find it a bit heavy to handle on narrow stock. Also managed to hit the overload protection circuit all the time while I was cutting 22mm wide and 25mm deep grooves lengthwise into a 2x3 fence posts long side when I tried to do it in one pass with a 22mm bit -> even with the OF1400 I had to downgrade to a 18mm wide bit and do four passes per groove to get them done (both sides half depth + full depth). Oh, and get a proper VAC - I managed to fill the Kärcher VAC I had up to the routers dust shroud multiple times while running those grooves with its idiotic 90-deg angled inlet pipe getting blocked by a splinter and total blockage follows...

I would suggest that your friend get the OF1010 since it comes standard with the FS800/2 guide rail & rail connector in the Set-version which will be good to start with cutting straight grooves and not have to straight away go shopping for the rail + rail attachment for the OF1400 that does not have them in a set available. Also I suppose the 1010 being lighter it would be easier to handle and as someone mentioned earlier in retrospect I should probably have taken the 1010-Set route first and then buy the OF2200+CMS package if more power and table capability is needed. Also 8mm/1/4" shank bits seem to be a lot cheaper to start off with.

Don't get me wrong though - I'm a happy camper with my 1.4k and got the rail & connector and I'm eying the CMS-module for my router, but 95% the time I could just as well get away with a 1010.

Ahhh... but they DO.  Keep your eyes peeled from an announcement from Rob Lee any day/week now.  Lee Valley has their new 8mm shank line in stock now, but the website isn't updated yet.  The catalog and website will roll out the same time, so it should be sometime in March.  The prices are in line with their other bits, so no longer are we being gouged for Festool bits (although those are of excellent quality, just expensive if you aren't generating revenue from them).

How do I know this?  I asked him... and I bought some, and they are in my possession.     I won't have the time to try them out for a few weeks, though, unfortunately.  They are the same as the rest of their brand of bits, just 8mm shank.

For upcut and downcut spiral bits, I ordered some Whiteside (my preferred brand) bits with a 5/16" shank from Holbren.  This size I think is a thousandth or two off of 8mm, so should work fine.  I'm awaiting their arrival so I can test the fit and report back for sure.  I'll post when I confirm this.

EDIT:  I measured them...
Lee Valley 8mm shank bits:  7.99 mm,  0.314 inches  (any inaccuracy is likely me, using the micrometer quickly during lunch)
Whiteside 5/16" (inch) bits:  7.93 mm, 0.312 inches

The Whiteside bits I bought are an up-spiral RU3100 and down-spiral RD3100, from Holbren.com .  Lee Valley also has a Onsrud 5/16" spiral bit for a few bucks more, and I think that is made in the USA as well.

The 5/16 inch shank bits will fit fine in the of1010, and the new availability of the 8mm shank bits from LV pushed me over the edge to select the 1010 router instead of the 1400.  I also have a router table with a Triton 2.25 hp router in it and that's what I would use for dangerous or heavy duty work with the 1/2" bits I have.

I saw the Lee Valley 8mm bits when I bought my 1010 a week ago. The sign said there were 85 different 8mm bits available.

UPDATE:  I measured them...

Lee Valley 8mm shank bits:  7.99 mm,  0.314 inches  (any inaccuracy is likely me, using the micrometer quickly during lunch)
Whiteside 5/16" (inch) bits:  7.93 mm, 0.312 inches

The Whiteside bits I bought are an up-spiral RU3100 and down-spiral RD3100, from Holbren.com .  Lee Valley also has a Onsrud 5/16" spiral bit for a few bucks more, and I think that is made in the USA as well.  I didn't see any 8mm shank spiral bits, so I went with the 5/16 inch instead.  Plus I really like Whiteside bits...

The 5/16 inch shank bits will fit fine in the of1010, and the new availability of the 8mm shank bits from LV pushed me over the edge to select the 1010 router instead of the 1400.  I also have a router table with a Triton 2.25 hp router in it and that's what I would use for dangerous or heavy duty work with the 1/2" bits I have.

J,

They are selling them now, but the website hasn't been updated to show them yet.  They are in the stores and warehouses, though. 

Search for Rob Lee's (the "Lee" in Lee Valley) here and then send him a message.  Basically all the basic straight (inches and mm), chamfer, roundover, slot, dovetail, bearing flush trim and template bits, rabbeting, etc.  You won't find the elaborate ogee and other special shapes, at least not yet.  There are over 80 different bits to start.